Maiden
by Selbe
Summary: Just out of high school, Ryoma is staying in a guest room at a tennis mansion. Catch: All of the workers are female, and one of them seems very familiar. So perm discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Tennis has always been nineteen-year-old Ryoma Echizen's #1 priority. For the next month, he is even planning on spending his days in a mansion for men competing in the next Japanese tournament. What are we forgetting? Oh, yeah. All of the workers are girls, and one is being very mysterious… okay, he can read her like font size 72.

Author's Note:

I just came up with this today. I know I really should be updating my other story, but I've been cursed with writer's block and really don't feel like it anyway. So, here goes.

Disclaimer: I never use these, but I keep seeing them so I'm going to use it to seem normal (yeah, right!). I do not own Prince of Tennis or any characters used in this story (Okay, I own almost all of the maids and a few of the players).

Ryoma walked into the room, feeling calm and collected as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary: he thought. His quarters were all black; black carpet, black wallpaper, black bedding, black toothpaste (Eew? I mean, what flavor is it?), black lighting…okay, that's a stretch. You get it; everything is black.

He threw his stuff on the bed and began to unpack. A few minutes later, he heard a knock on the door. He reluctantly opened it to find Akira Hiroshima, the host and owner of the mansion, there.

"Echizen-san! What an honor!" Akira exclaimed. Ryoma, finding no reason to respond, remained quiet. "Anyway, I came to tell you a few things. As you may have noticed, all of the workers are female. Since all of the guests are men, I am allowing you all proper privacy. If one of them comes in to clean at a bad time, you can just send them off." Ryoma didn't even nod.

"All right," he continued, "there's more." He poked at Ryoma's racket, but Ryoma snatched it away quickly. "Most of the maids here just work here for college funds. A lot of them have dorms there, but one stays here due to costs. It comes out of her pay, but that's a tad off topic. I'm not accusing you of anything, but in the past we have had cases where guests have harassed our young workers, and we'd appreciate it if everyone would let them be as they please. Thank you."

Ryoma glared at him as the implication sunk in. Akira suddenly left, as if he were frightened or offended. Ryoma rested on his bed for a bit. He didn't need to check out the tennis courts. It didn't matter. He would always beat his challenger, no matter the court. In a few minutes, he was sleeping as deeply as he had in junior high under that tree.

In the meantime, a shy young maid knocked timidly on his door. She definitely didn't want to disturb whoever the room belonged to. A lot of the tennis players picked on her when she came to clean, and she really didn't want that to happen like it always did. A bead of sweat dripped down her neck. At first she thought it would be caught in her hair, but then she remembered pulling all of it up in her bonnet. Her amber-brown eyes studied the door, waiting for some answer.

When she received no reply, she pushed the door open. At first glance, the room seemed empty. She quickly saw a young man sleeping on top of the covers and a bag full of clothes and equipment on the bed. She tried to reach the bathroom, but instead tripped halfway and landed…

…right on top of the tennis player. Somehow she thought she recognized him up-close, but she then remembered her situation. He shifted, and her bonnet came undone. Twin braids fell down her back. The players eyes shot open, and she immediately pulled free.

She ended up landing right on her thigh, hitting the (black, but) wooden floor. "I-I'm sorry, I tripped and-and I…" she suddenly cut herself off. She now knew who it was in front of her. "Ryoma-kun?"

"Oh, it's you Wobbly Hips," Ryoma said. Heat crept into her cheeks, as much as she tried to hide her blush. She pushed herself up, straightening her maid outfit.

"H-hai! Sakuno Ryuzaki, actually, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno stammered. He now stood above her, nearly hovering.

"I didn't forget," he said bluntly.

"Of course you didn't, Ryoma-ku----- I mean, Echizen-sama," Sakuno said, bowing constantly.

"You don't have to call me that," he said.

"W-well, I do here," she replied. "Otherwise, I may get fired, and that'd be bad. T-taking into consideration that I live here, of course."

"So he was talking about you, Wobbly Hips." Ryoma started unpacking his bags again, so Sakuno began to straighten up the bedding and clean the restroom.

"Why are you working here?" Ryoma asked once.

"I need the money if-if I want to become…"

Ryoma stood still, waiting for her to finish. She waited a few seconds, and then she opened her mouth.

"I want to become a great violinist! A musician," she stammered. She waited for him to say something, ranging from "That's nice," to, "Whatever." He said nothing, so she continued on with her work.

"Do you still play tennis? I wasn't planning on playing today, but I'd do it if it were you," he offered.

"I can if you allow me to," Sakuno said. "I'm your _personal_ maid. Your word is law to me." Sakuno blushed at the word personal. He smirked.

"Personal?" he said, kneeling down beside her. "Doesn't that also mean _private_?" Sakuno felt like she would faint.

"E-Echizen-sama?" she asked.

"Yes, Sakuno?" he asked.

"W-what are you implying?" He stared at her, expressionless.

"Oh, nothing. Why don't you get back to work?"

Author's Note:

I know I am so weird and lazy and ugly, but I just got a new computer and it is heavenly and I'm in such eternal bliss that I don't think I will ever update this or work again. (JK! I WILL update this).


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I just read over the previous chapter and nearly screamed. I made sooooo many mistakes, so I must apologize to everyone who had this crap shoved down their throat. First of all, Hiroshima was the easiest last name (I'm pretty sure it's a place, though). Also, I'm putting Mariella by Kate Nash into this chapter. The ong was just showed to me by a friend, and I'm positive she's smirking this very moment as she reads this crapola. Plus, Tomoka is going to the same art school as Sakuno, only as an actress/singer. Another maid, Sakura, is going there, too. She's mute, but she can play drums, and she can do anything with a pencil and crayon (In my language, that means she's an artist, not that anyone can understand Selbenese, or is expected to). Sakuno can play violin, and she can do a bit of piano and guitar. She can sing, she's just too shy to play instruments or sing in front of anyone other than Sakura and Tomoka.

Well, here it is!

Chapter 2:

"Sakuno!" Tomoka yelled after her when her shift was done.

"What is it, Tomo?" Sakuno asked as she walked back to her room. It was in the way back of the house on the fifth floor, which was the highest.

"You know I have an audition tomorrow! I need you and Sakura to help me! Also, we have something to tell you," Tomo explained.

"Have you chosen from the acts we've practiced?" Sakuno asked.

"No! That's why I need you, Sakuno-chan," Tomo exclaimed.

"I think…that…" Sakuno began. Tomo stared at her, daring her to finish. "Mariella- y'know, the English song- would be very nice and theatrical for an audition. I want you to succeed, Tomo-chan."

"Now that I'm done begging," Tomoka said, "you and I can stop with the titles."

The two of them made their way back to Sakuno's room to find Sakura sitting on the bed. "Sakura! You beat us here," Tomo laughed. Sakura smiled and giggled a bit.

Sakuno smiled shyly. Sakura's hair was soft and shiny, and it was black all the way down to her waist, where she had pink highlights streaking through it. She wasn't pretty or gorgeous- she was just cute. Her eyes were a deep blue color.

"Let's go find the room with the piano before we're spotted." Tomoka led them out, and they headed down several cases of stairs. They finally reached the basement, and opened the door to the room with the ancient instruments and stage equipment.

In the meantime:

Ryoma was sitting in the huge hall that was called the 'living room'. He heard footsteps and glanced in their direction. A door he hadn't noticed before was being opened by a girl with two ponytails. She kept shifting her eyes from left to right. She seemed familiar, but she didn't grab his interest _that _much.

Behind her, a girl with black hair followed. She had a blank and dismissive expression on her face, as if she didn't suspect anything would happen in the next few minutes of any interest to her. She had pink highlights in her hair, and was wearing layers of clothing. She didn't look bad or good in them.

Next came Ryuzaki-san. She was blushing furiously and kept her gaze on the ground, as if she was trying to be invisible. When she was in the doorway, she looked left and right, saw no one, so she closed the door and descended into the basement.

In case you were wondering, he was sitting on a couch that was elevated by a balcony just above the fireplace. It had a perfect view of the three girls.

He was super-bored; you have to understand. Everyone else was with the paparazzi or had just gone out to mess around. Ryoma was all alone with nothing to do. So, he followed her. It was that simple.

The staircase, Ryoma noticed, twisted into a lower- but still clean- level of the mansion. He came to the door Ryuzaki-san had entered and slouched down by the door to eavesdrop.

"Okay, Sakura. Here's the deal. We're doing Mariella for my audition. So, as you may have guessed, I need you to play the drums. I think a few of the cooks said they'd come to help today. After all, we have to move a lot of stuff around, and we need people to help with that. They all go to the same school, so that's good," Tomoka rambled.

"I just thought it suited Tomo," Ryuzaki-san confessed shyly. Ryoma couldn't see anything, so he assumed the girl had nodded or just hadn't listened to the whole thing. He remembered Tomoka, and he really had never listened to her either.

He turned his head so he could see through a crack in the door. He could see them, but they couldn't see him at all. "Um, Tomo?" Ryuzaki-san murmured. Tomoka glanced back at her. "I-I forgot to tell you. The cooks are preparing the welcoming feast for the tennis players, so they won't be able to help you today. I think we could wake up early tomorrow and run through it a few times…maybe…"

"Sakuno," Tomo laughed. "You're so shy." Tomo then glared at the girl she had addressed as Sakura. "You just don't talk." The girl shrugged. "I can do it myself, then. Of course, I'd be lost without you two, but…I'm good."

"Tomo, don't forget to do the accent. It adds to it… I think," Ryuzaki-san mumbled.

"How could I not?" Tomo said. Ryoma knew he must be extremely bored. Ryuzaki-san sat at a piano in the back of the room and began to play. It started out slow, but after a minute it sped up a bit. Sakura was playing the drums, and Tomoka was singing and dancing…obnoxiously, he would remember if it ever came to his mind after this.

His eyes shifted back to Ryuzaki-san. She was still playing perfectly. Her cheeks had a slight blush to them, making him think of strawberries. She was wearing a white sundress with patterned flowers on it. An unconscious smile painted his face.

He recognized the sign that the song was nearly over. His eardrums felt like they would explode by the end. He knew that it was supposed to sound bad at the end, but the continuous 'ever's made him want to run away.

When it ended, he found himself in the doorway clapping for Ryuzaki-san and the others. "E-Echizen-sama!" Sakuno blushed.

"Ryoma-kun! I didn't know you were here. I should've known, though," Tomoka said. "This is Sakura Hinonishi! If you can get her to talk to you, good, 'cause I can't. She's mute."

Ryoma just nodded in her direction, and she nodded back, glaring slightly, but a smile played across her lips. He then looked over to the piano, but Ryuzaki-san wasn't there.

He then saw her hiding behind Hinonishi-san. He smirked. "Mada mada dane, Ryuzaki-san." Her face turned an even brighter shade of red, and Hinonishi-san smirked back at him.

Ryuzaki-san stepped out from behind Hinonishi-san, but ended up tripping on her own feet and landing right in front of Ryoma. "G-g-gomennasai, Echizen-s-sama!" He chuckled.

"You play well, Ryuzaki-san…Sakuno-san," he said as he left the room. Sakuno glanced at her friend, holding back tears- of confusion and embarrassment. Tomoka was grinning broadly, and Sakura seemed amused.

"Oh, right!" Tomo shouted, startling Sakuno. "We're tired of paying for dorms. So, we're staying with you in the room way upstairs." Sakuno thought of her small room and the three of them sharing it.

"I-I guess it could be fun," she stammered.

"You're darn right it will be!" Tomo grinned. Sakuno suddenly felt nauseous.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryoma laid in his bed as Sakuno-san cleaned his bathroom. It was about seven o'clock- following the day he listened in on their performance of Mariella. Of course, Tomoka tried out for the leading roles in a musical the college was pitting on. Apparently, they were doing a Japanese adaptation of High School Musical. She tried out for the role of Sharpay (a few of the cooks helped in her performance, along with Sakuno-san and Hinonishi-san).

She came out, blushing slightly. "Arigatou," he said.

"Bye, Echizen-sama," Sakuno-san said, bowing. She made her way out of his room, and he followed her. Again, he was bored, and he was wondering what the maids did for fun at night. Tomoka and Hinonishi-san moved in that very day. He brought his racquet and a ball with him. He was planning on playing after he separated from Sakuno.

It wasn't just that. He was a tad bit fond of Sakuno-san. What Akira had said earlier made him slightly concerned for his friend. He didn't care much, but she was amusing when she made mistakes or stammered an inaudible phrase.

He separated form her after they made it to the stairs. She would be fine: he thought. Then, he heard something. It was far away. After all, he could move very quickly and he was already nearly out the door. He went back up the stairs and searched for the source of the noise.

He saw Hinonishi-san being grabbed and her mouth covered by a big, hairy hand. "C'mon, honey," he said. "You're a maid. Why don't you help me clean up in my room for a bit?"

"We're maids, not slaves!" Tomoka yelled. Another man stood in front of her. In his arms he held Sakuno-san. He had both of her wrists in one hand behind her back, and another wrapped around her waist.

"You're too cute to be hanging with these two," the man said to Hinonishi-san. "Come party with us for a bit. Why wouldn't you want to?" He received no reply.

"What? You think you're too good to answer us!" the man holding Sakuno-san accused. Again, she said nothing. He threw Sakuno-san at the stairs, and the other man threw Hinonishi-san at a table. Tomoka was able to catch Hinonishi-san in time. Ryoma launched his hand for Sakuno while his other- holding his racquet – hit the ball toward the fleeing men. He was so off balance that when he caught her, the two of them fell to the ground.

The ball hit one man on the back of the head (let me, Selbe, specify: the one who grabbed Sakuno), knocking him unconscious. The other stopped to see what was wrong with his friend.

"There they are!" yelled Tomoka. She had called the guards a moment ago, and they were already there. The two men were dragged away and their IDs were to be held. They were also being disqualified from the tournament.

"E-E-Echizen-sama!" Sakuno-san exclaimed, obviously surprised to be lying in his arms on the floor.

"You're so heavy, Sakuno-san," Ryoma commented. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Gomennasai, Echizen-sama," she mumbled. A tear fell to the floor.

"Why are you crying? I just saved you," he asked.

"I thought you were mad at me, or I was inconveniencing you," she sniffled.

"You are," he said. She started crying again, but then he smirked at her. "I guess I don't mind this kind of trouble, though." Sakuno-san blushed madly.

"G'night," he said, walking back to his room. That was definitely worth the trouble: he thought: very amusing.

Author's Note:

I know some Japanese, not all of it. No criticism on that, but please help me get better! Also, the reason Ryoma calls her Tomoka is because of this. Not having a title is a sign of familiarity. Since he doesn't know her, if he calls her Tomoka, or thinks it in this case, it's disrespectful.

The reason he keeps changing what he calls her is because he's getting closer to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

Please try to understand that when an idea pops into my head, I write it down (within the next month). Also try to understand that I don't check over my work until after I post it. Dumb, right? I reread the previous chapter before I write another one, and I noticed a ton of mistakes. Again, I apologize. Another thing: I _strongly _dislike High School Musical. Understand that I would not be writing about them performing it unless I've seen it, though. If it weren't for the most boring day of my life, and me sitting in my room with absolutely nothing to do, I wouldn't have included it in my story. I have a question, too. For all of you out there who want to read this story to the fullest: Is there a kissing scene in High School Musical 1 between Troy and Gabriella? Just asking, and I would like it if one of you would be so kind as to answer. After all, I know a lot of you want to see a jealous Ryoma, right? *wiggles eyebrows suggestively* I'm joking with the eyebrow thing. I'm also just killing time right now, too. Because I have no ideas, so here I go, diving into uncharted waters.

Wait, a colorful fish has nibbled on my toe and has given my grammatically incorrect toe an idea. How about a _beach _at the mansion? I know I have a few takers(I just saw an error and went back to fix it, which explains the weird fish thing. I am soooo proud).

P.S. I made my own little change scene thing, because everyone else had one, and I feel real left out. Y'know? **BOLD TYPE- PRINCE OF _______**

Chapter 4:

Ryoma glared at the man in the purple suit. When was he actually going to play tennis? Something fishy was going on, and Ryoma didn't care enough to find out. "So," Akira Hiroshima asked, "will you come?"

"No," Ryoma replied immediately. He did _not _come here for the benefit of the beach. His father probably would've, but he was not like his perverted father.

"Please…" the man begged. Suddenly, there was a light knock on Ryoma's door. "Come in," Akira answered for him. Ryoma just glared at him. Sakuno cleaned at this time, so he knew who it was.

However, it was not Sakuno who entered his room. Akira had been in his room the previous night, so he knew that the maid that entered was not his. "Why are you here instead of the girl with the braids?" The blue-eyed girl just began to work. "Is that how you treat your employer?"

"She doesn't talk," Ryoma said bluntly. Hinonishi-san glanced at him with a grateful look in her eyes.

"Okay, then," Akira said. "If you change your mind….?" Then, he just left. Ryoma thought that was the best thing that man had ever done for him.

Ryoma _was_ curious as to why Sakuno was not cleaning his room that night, but he knew that if he asked the girl would not answer. "Sakuno-chan is out getting a swimsuit with Osaka-san." Ryoma was shocked for a moment. The girl had spoken. That wasn't very normal.

Osaka-san?: he thought: Must be a nickname for…yes, her name was Osakada-san. Then his thoughts returned to the abnormality of the girl talking.

"I talk to Sakuno-chan and Osaka-san, too. I only talk to nice people, and you seem nice," she said, as if that clarified things. Her voice was low. Not low, as in male sounding, but it seemed monotonous, also. (Think Evanescence, dear readers) "Hiroshima-sama invited the maids to go to the beach with all of the tennis players tomorrow. It is a Sunday, so there are no classes."

It sounded like the girl left off one sentence that echoed in Ryoma's mind. _It seems suspicious, _rang throughout their heads. "Doumo Arigatou, Hinonishi-san," Ryoma said as she left.

"It's Sakura," she said in response.

With Sakura-san gone, Ryoma could think more about Akira's offer. The beach… It would be a lot more interesting, knowing that Sakuno would be there. He would get to see her in a swimsuit, so it would not be so bad. She's so amusing: he thought as he fell asleep on his bed.

**PRINCE OF SWIMSUITS ~~~~~~**

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno exclaimed, a blush on her face.

Tomoka just laughed. "Ryoma-kun won't be able to keep his eyes (or hands: she thought) off of you if you're in this." Tomoka was holding a light pink bikini up and waving in Sakuno's face. On the bottom half's back, there was a big yellow flower on the right side. Sakuno didn't like the idea of drawing attention to her bottom.

"Something else, Tomo-chan," Sakuno mumbled, her blush deepening.

"Fine," she pouted. "How about this?" she asked, pulling another swimsuit off the rack. It was another pink one and was a one-piece. There was a big opening where the back was supposed to be, and there were a few layers of ruffles on the front where her chest would be. "It has cute ruffles, but Sakuno-chan, you don't need them at all anymore." Sakuno just blushed in response.

"I like this one, Tomo-chan."

**PRINCE OF BEACHES ~~~~~~**

Ryoma was asleep on the beach. He saw Tomoka and Sakura-san on the beach, but (as usual) Sakuno was late. He had gone back to Akira and asked when they were supposed to be there, and he said they were going to swim at the beach in the backyard at ten. They were supposed to close the gates to the beach area at ten twenty-five, but Tomoka told them to wait a bit.

Sure enough, at eleven thirty, Sakuno arrived at the beach. He was awake by then, and he decided to watch her come in. She was wearing a light blue sundress, so he couldn't see what her swimsuit was. He sighed uncharacteristically, but he did not blush or think about what he had just done. If you know Ryoma Echizen, you know that he has too much pride to think down on his actions.

At the thought of not thinking about what he thought about (DO. YOU. FoLoW?), he found himself watching the three girls. Sakura-san was wearing a plain purple one-piece, but he didn't stare at her long enough to distinguish the details anyway. Tomoka was wearing a shameless white strapless bikini. (She did not come in a sundress, and she did not bring a towel to dry off with…fyi)

Sakuno began to take off her sundress, and he stared as she did. He hated his father and how he acted, but he was not drooling or having any other similar behaviors as he watched, so it was (slightly) different.

Ryoma thought she looked cute in her swimsuit, and honestly, he preferred it over Sakura-san's or Tomoka's. She still had her braids in, which he was beginning to like about her, but she Tomoka began to pull them out.

He was now more curious than he had ever been before. What does Sakuno look like without her braids in?: he thought. Actually, he was quite incredulous. Sakuno could never take her braids out. Whenever he thought about her, he always saw her with braids.

This was worth drinking Inui-juice over: he thought. Without her braids, her hair was very wavy. It did not subtract from her cuteness, though. Back at Seishun, the regulars could have had a whole conversation over this. (It probably could be the plot of a filler chapter of the manga…) He wondered if her hair was straight before she put it into braids. Did she wear her two braids when she slept, or did she shower with them in, too?

Just then, Tomoka giggled and pointed at him. Sakuno took a peek in his direction and her face became as red as a tomato. He just stared at her. She wasn't the only one bare-backed today. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of swim trunks. He wasn't even wearing his signature cap.

Tomoka pulled Sakuno in his direction, and Sakura-san followed behind confidently. Tomoka was laughing at something, and Sakuno was blushing and stammering something that no one but the familiar Tomoka could begin to understand. When they were near, Tomoka pushed Sakuno down beside him and stood over him.

"Thought you could avoid us, huh, Ryoma-kun?" Not really: he thought. "Did you miss us? I haven't seen you in a few days!" She talks a lot: he thought. He glanced back at Sakuno. She was still blushing furiously.

"Mada Mada Dane, Sakuno," Ryoma said, smirking at her.

"G-gomennasai, Echizen-s-sama," Sakuno stammered.

"What for?" he asked. This place was really boring, and truthfully, Sakuno was giving him all of his kicks. There were tennis courts, but the tournament hadn't even started. He was wondering what new title he would win.

"W-what _f-for_, Echizen-s-s-s-sama?" Think of the reddest shade you've ever seen, then apply it to her face.

"No fair, no fair," muttered Tomoka. "Ryoma-kun is flirting with Sakuno-chan." Sakura-san just grinned. At this, Ryoma's smirk grew even more arrogant, if that were even possible.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Tomoka laughed and Sakura-san giggled. She had to drag Tomoka away from him and Sakuno. Speaking of Sakuno, she looked like she were about to faint.

"You are so amusing," he thought, actually saying it aloud. Sakuno's eyes suddenly became moist.

"A-amusing?" she said. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

"What did I do this time?" Ryoma asked, at the same time readjusting their position so that her head rested in his lap, his arm still around her waist. She stared up at him, and a tear streamed down her face.

He felt something inside of him. Pain? Anger? Fear? He'd felt all of those before, but this one wasn't recognizable to him. He couldn't tell at all what it was. "What's wrong?" Something was eating away at him.

"N-n-n-nothing, Ryo---, Echizen-sama," she said, sniffling. Now, he thought Sakuno had never been one to lie, but this was just terrible, even for him. He was very dense, but when someone is crying, it generally means someone is sad.

Sakuno kept trying to pull away, but Ryoma didn't want her to leave. Something inside was telling him not to; some little guy named Attraction who woke up a tad bit late from hibernation.

Just amusing…: thought Sakuno. "Echizen-s-sama…." she mumbled.

Ryoma was easily annoyed, but Sakuno had known him ever since they were twelve, and it kind of irritated him whenever she called him Echizen-sama. When she said that, he had no idea what she thought of him. "You don't have to call me that."

"R-Ryoma-kun…" she said.

"What's wrong now?" he asked.

"I'm j-just amusing?" she asked. Ryoma thought for a moment. He didn't think that would be hurtful. Then again, a lot of the times he made her cry he was just being blunt and didn't know that he would make her cry.

"No," he said, wiping away her tears. He ran his fingers through her hair, which was now splayed in his lap. "You're hair is ridiculously long… but I like it that way." Sakuno just turned red again.

"Sakuno-chan!" Tomoka yelled. "You can't spend the whole time at the beach flirting with Ryoma! Come over here." Ryoma released her from his grip and she immediately stood.

"Gomennasai, Ryoma-kun," she said, taking a deep bow. She ran to her friends, and they just laughed when she tripped on the _sand_ and fell into Sakura-san's arms.

Ryoma chuckled. Maybe she was a bit more than amusing to him. Ryoma didn't feel like thinking, so he took another nap under the sun.

Author's Note:

I feel like I'm forgetting something… I had it in my mind last night, but I stopped in the middle of typing this, so…….. I guess I'll have to say it in the next chapter if I remember it. Maybe it was nothing… Oh!!! After sitting around for a minute, I remember. I'm not going to make Ryoma blush or feel ashamed of his feelings for Sakuno (if and) when he realizes them. I don't know. I just _love _his cockiness.

I have other ideas for RyoSaku fanfics, so after I finish this one, I'll probably start on another. That's my lazy writer's block butt for you. I think I've written one-too-many Harvest Moon fanfics.

Yes, again. If you have seen High School Musical, is there a kissing scene in #1. Answer the question, and I promise not to disappoint in the next chapter. **PRINCE OF JEALOUSY ~~~~~~**


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

I still have no idea, so I'm going to just remake it because it's a Japanese adaptation, and I can do what I want.

Chapter 5:

Sakuno, Sakura, and Tomoka were all sitting in the room they shared. Something surprising happened that day. They finally discovered the roles everyone was playing. Tomoka made the role of Sharpay. Sakura was a nonspeaking extra, and Sakuno was Gabriella. All three of them were in shock, mostly because she did not try out, but she only helped in the audition.

"I do not want the lead role," Sakuno said. "I don't want to play Gabriella to someone else's Troy."

"C'mon, Sakuno," Tomoka said, jumping up and down. "It's a new experience. Get rid of your stage fright."

"I guess…" she mumbled. Sakura smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

**THE PRINCE OF SMALL TALK~~~~~**

While Ryoma was walking through the halls looking for something to do, he heard the gossip of the maids and cooks.

"Did you hear?" A maid asked. "Ryuzaki Sakuno made the lead role in the college production. Can you believe it? She's not even that great. My audition was way better. I can play Gabriella in High School Musical so much better."

High School Musical…: Ryoma thought. Back in America, he hadn't really watched much television, but he knew that it was very popular and was made by Disney. He then remembered it was a romance…

Ryoma didn't think there was a kiss in it, but they were probably going to alter it slightly. He felt wrong. Something felt bad inside of him, and he wanted it to stop. Sakuno was not his. They weren't dating, and he didn't even like her that much. He thought she was cute, liked her personality, thought she was very talented, and appreciated her. Is that love?: he asked in his head.

**THE PRINCE OF ADLIB**

"Don't forget, Sakuno. You should only adlib as a last resort, so we need to practice tons," Tomoka said.

"Tomo-chan," Sakuno said as she skimmed through her part. "I don't want to have to kiss someone."

"Huh?" Tomoka said, still smiling. Sakuno just turned red.

"There's a kiss… I don't want to kiss anyone but…" Sakuno said, blushing madly. Tomoka giggled.

"You're so cute, Sakuno." :You want to kiss Ryoma-kun:

"Doumo Arigatou, Tomo-chan," Sakuno whispered timidly.

"Now Sakuno, let's practice."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

Sorry I'm late but better late than never.

Chapter 6:

"Sakuno gets to kiss someone, Ryoma-kun," Tomoka said as leaning over him as he sipped his tea. All of a sudden he choked, but disguised it as a cough.

"So?" he asked. She had a right to be in relationships, which he knew. "Is it for that play?"

"Why, are you jealous?" Tomoka giggled. Ryoma just remained quiet.

"I'm finished," he said, standing up.

Tomoka sighed, "I guess I'll take your plate and cup."

**PRINCE OF KISSING**__

Ryoma searched the tennis mansion for Sakuno, looking left and right. Once he saw the braids, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I hear you've got to kiss someone." She turned around and smiled at him.

"R-Ryoma-kun, Konnichiwa," she said, smiling. "Hai, i-is there anything you need?"

He thought for a moment. "Have you ever kissed anyone before?" She shook her head, blushing. "I just wanted you to have your first kiss with someone more than worthy." He leaned down, gave her a quick peck on the lips and left.

Author's Note:

Disappointed? So am I. There is more to come, though. R and R, please. I need the motivation.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note:

No! The kiss should have been longer!!! LOL ) I'm the devil when it comes to disappointment. Don't worry though. It's coming, my dear and not so dear readers. I don't judge on criteria though, so I like a nice critic.

Chapter 7:

"Ryoma-kun…" Sakuno said, smoothing his hair out of his face. He just lay in her lap. "Please, wake up." At the moment, they were sitting on the rooftop of the mansion. "You invited me up here…b-but then just ended up asleep on me." One of his eyes opened at her and he smirked.

"So," he said. "You had your kiss today." Sakuno nodded, even though she knew it was a statement. "How many times did you rehearse it?"

"Well, uh," she started, "twelve, Ryoma-kun." Twelve: Ryoma thought: twelve kisses. He pulled himself up and walked to the door leading out. "R-Ryoma-kun, what is it?" he just shook his head and left the rooftop.

**PRINCE OF PONTA**

"Echizen-sama!" Akira Hiroshima screamed as he pounded the door. "Please, do this for me! I need you." Ryoma just sat there, staring at the black wall, drinking his Ponta. Earlier, he had locked the door. All of the other tennis players in the mansion were at a photo shoot for an advertisement for men's underwear.

Ryoma, being as smart as he is, figured it out. The tennis mansion only wanted him so they could sweeten things up and make a profit off some underwear line. The courts were public, and not private.

"We can't do this without you!" he said. "Everyone will want the underwear Echizen Ryoma, tennis _champion_, wears." Ryoma finished up his can of Ponta and threw it at the locked door. "When you change your mind…" and he left the statement open as he walked away from his room.

Ryoma lay there, almost asleep until he heard the knock on the door. "Erm, Ryoma-kun," a voice said, "it's Sakuno." He pulled himself up off the bed, unlocked the door, and opened it. "Uh, Konnichiwa, Ryoma-kun," she said. "All of the others have left for something. You didn't go, so I was wondering…are you leaving?"

"Yeah," he said bluntly. Sakuno stared at the ground.

"Will I see you again?" she asked. Ryoma thought about that.

"Yeah."

"When?" she asked, but then blushed. Ryoma just stared at her, smirking, making her blush deepen.

"Soon," he said and left it at that. He then grabbed his bag he had packed earlier, and he walked out of the room. "Bye." Sakuno smiled sadly.

"Bye."

Author's Note:

It doesn't end here, so don't fret. I just _love _a little drama. Thanks so much, aoi. I really appreciate it!


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note:

I'm back! Okay, so far it's been so much fun seeing the reviews. It's so funny to see the reviews that go NOOOOO THE KISS SHOULD HSVE BEEN LONGER!!!! LOL. I nearly died of laughter. As I said, I like to disappoint, that way things are a lot more pleasurable later…HUHUHU! Also, you're going to see a love triangle obviously.

For those of you who think the kiss should be longer, I would've complained too. Me: What are you THINKING?! BORING. C'mon Ryoma! You can do better than that! POOPSOCK!

AND ANOTHER THING In the last chapter I said 'Thanks so much, aoi.' I must have had anime on the brain. I meant to say 'Thanks so much, all.' I need to clear my head.

**THE PRINCE OF PLAYS**

Going on at the tennis mansion without Ryoma was hard. It was closing within a week anyway, and Sakuno had nothing left to look forward to. She only cleaned and practiced for High School Musical.

Sakuno was indifferent toward the play. It just looked good if you had a lot of important roles and such on your record for college. The one thing she really didn't like was the kiss scene, but it was easier to cope with after her lips were stolen by Ryoma.

Another hard thing to cope with was how Sakura had transferred to a different college in America called Julliard. Sakuno had heard that the school was mentioned in High School Musical 3. She shivered.

Everyday, after classes, Sakuno would practice her lines with Hiroya Ito-kun. Ito-kun played Troy Bolten, dubbed Toya Bunya-san. Gabriella Montez was dubbed Gen Monomonoi-san, played by Sakuno herself.

"Ito-san," Sakuno asked one day, "why did you want to be Toya Bunya?" He glanced up at her from his lines.

"I may not have tried out, Sakuno," Ito-san said. "It depended on who played Gen Monomonoi. I was fine when you received the role." He smirked at her.

"A-ano, Ito-kun! What are you saying?" Sakuno blushed furiously, covering her face with her lines.

"Sakuno, kawaii. I love that blush." Sakuno stared down at the floor of the music room. "I suppose we should get to work though. They had to change everything just to make the songs rhyme and flow."

And so the days continued like this.

**THE PRINCE OF "GO AWAY!"**

"Ryoma, looks like you're back early," Nanjiro Echizen said, snickering.

"Baka oyaji! Leave me be."

"Daijobu, Ryoma? It looks like you're in a bad mood. Did your girlfriend cheat on you?" Ryoma stayed silent and looked away.

**THE PRINCE OF GEOMETRY **(Get it? Triangles, geometry?"

"Achoo!" Sakuno sneezed.

Ito-kun chuckled. "It seems someone far away is talking about you, Sakuno." Sakuno giggled nervously.

"I suppose so." They continued on, practicing their lines and songs until the day was nearly over.

"Sakuno, would you like a ride home?" Ito-kun asked, seeing she had missed the bus. Sakuno shook her head.

"Ito-kun, I can walk," she said, refusing the offer.

He laughed, "Sakuno, it's miles away. You'll be exhausted by the time you get back. Let me give you a ride home." Sakuno finally gave in, letting Ito-kun give her a ride back to the tennis mansion.

Sakuno started to open the door, when he wrapped his hand around her wrist lightly. "Do you know how to kiss, Sakuno? We have to make our big finale genuine." Sakuno blushed, pushing herself back against the door. "The better the performance the better the grade we get. Wouldn't it be nice if we got a scholarship?" Sakuno just blushed.

"I-I'm no good at kissing," she confessed. He smirked at her.

"I've had lots of practice. I could teach you, but I should warn you. To become an expert kisser, you need lots of practice." He leaned closer to her, until his lips were a centimeter from hers.

Sakuno's heart was screaming at her. "Don't let him do it!" her heart yelled. "These lips belong to Ryoma-kun, even if he'll never have us again!" Sakuno ignored the voice, and let his lips fall upon hers.

At first it was a soft, innocent kiss, but then it grew. Eventually, Ito-kun pulled back, and Sakuno was relieved. She thought he wanted a nice little kiss, but now she knew that wasn't true.

Sakuno was no idiot. She was smart, and she was mature for her age. She was shy, but not as clumsy as everyone thought. She wasn't dense either. She knew what Ito-san's intentions were, and she would not be a part of it…

She would admit she was tempted to continue, but every thought of Ryoma-kun made her heart hurt. She felt like she would bleed, and the wound would keep spreading until it consumed her. He was gone, but he said he would come back.

Ryoma had never lied to her before.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:

Hi everyone. How are you all? It's nice to see that Maiden is still trucking along (slowly). I myself am doing pretty well. I have a bit of a writer's block dilemma, but otherwise things are running smoothly.

I must admit this story really isn't so great in my opinion, but I'll keep going. I'm trying to bend it now and patch up any OOC-ness in there. I hope I'll succeed. My RyoSaku-challenged writing may need a bit of a jump start.

Warning: **Yaoi coupling implicated **_**(Don't get your undergarments all in a bunch if you're thinking it's a RyoSaku complication. It's one of the senpais)**_

You have been warned

**THE PRINCE OF RETURNING**

"So," Syusuke said, "you saw Sakuno at the tennis mansion?"

"Hai," Ryoma replied. Fuji took a sip of his soft drink.

"What I don't understand," Fuji stated, "is why you came to me rather than Momo or someone you might find more knowledgeable in the subject. Nonetheless, I will try my best to help you." His sadistic smile was still plastered across his face.

"Are you planning on going back?" Fuji asked.

"Hai."

"Oh? Why is that?" Fuji inquired. "There must be some reason."

"I made a promise to her that I would return." Fuji and Ryoma were silent for a moment. "She is in a musical. I remember in the United States hearing about it the movie. There is going to be a kiss."

"Does that bother you?" he smiled. Ryoma tugged his hat down to cover his face.

"Hai," he whispered. Fuji began to rest his head in his palm on the diner counter. Ryoma was silent, causing Fuji to ponder even more Ryoma and Sakuno's relationship.

"Why are we here, Ryoma? What do you want me to do?" Ryoma took a while to respond.

"How do you feel when you are around Tezuka-buchou?" Ryoma asked.

"Kunimitsu-san?" Fuji thought for a bit on that. "Sometimes I feel a bit… nervous. Sometimes I'm scared, sad… hopeful. There are many feelings I get when I am around him. All of which I acknowledge because I know if I don't, they'll destroy me." Fuji's smile grew. "Other members of the team are in serious relationships at the time. You could have asked them about _love_, Ryoma. I wouldn't know how you feel about Ryuzaki-san. After all, I'm not you. All I know is that there are many different types of love, all of which are endearing in one way or another. Loving someone and being in love with them are the same yet very different. You have to apply this logic to your own feelings and compare your feelings for Ryuzaki-san to your other loves."

"How does a kiss feel when you are in love, senpai?"

"A kiss?" Fuji chuckled. "Ryoma, first of all call me Fuji or Syusuke. Now, about the kiss. When you are in love, I suppose it should feel… surreal. Every time it should impact your life greatly- not only because of the physical contact, but the implication of love and affection that it gives you. I don't know too much about it. When it happens to you, you kind of know after a while. It takes a lot of thinking to figure these things out."

"Fuji," Ryoma murmured.

"Hnn?" Fuji grunted.

"How soon should I return to the mansion?"


End file.
